Seal.



J. M. DALY.

SEAL.

APPLl-CATION man APR.15, 1913'.

1,186,753; Patented June 13, 1916.

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.wmaumfibm Z OF rm: dOLUMmA PLANOGRAPH :0 WASHINGTON B C 25 the car or container to JOHN M. DALY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Application filed April 15, 1913. Serial No. 761,220.

7 (AU whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN M. Dam, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useticularly freight or express, or which may be used on containers or receptacles of various sorts to prevent tampering or to pre serve the contents thereof intact. In fact the seal is of general utility in preventing 5 tampering without making visible indicati-ons.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a seal which will indicate at once clearly and plainly that the seal has been tampered with.

A further object of my invention is the provision of such a seal which, when tampered with, breaks, indicating at once that an attempt has been made to gain access to which the seal is attached.

Another object is the provision of a device "of the character described, including a flexible shackle adjustable in length and having a locking means which automatically locks when inserted into the seal proper.

A further object of this invention is the PI'OVISIOH of a seal, the seal proper being made of a frangible material and being provided with a shackle having locking means adapted to autematmally lock the parts together when inserted in said seal, the seal being adapted to be broken when tampered 40 with.

A further object is the provision of a seal including a flexible shackle and an automatic lock whereby the seal and shackle may be adjusted relative to the hasp to leave no slack and the parts automatically lock in the closest position.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the con- 50.struction, combination and arrangement of parts l'rereinafter described and then sought to be defined inthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, it being understood however that changes may be made in practice within the scope of the claims without digressing from my inventive idea.

In the drawings :F igure 1 illustrates a seal constructed according to my invention applied in use; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse section taken substantially on line l4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shackle and lock; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the shackle and lock in position, this view being enlarged.-

Seals of this character are used to prevent oars, freight, express or otherwise, vehicles, buildings and receptacles or analogous articles from being opened without making some indication thereof. It therefore protects against unauthorized opening and having the contents thereof'tampered with. The seal also contains suitable designations so as to retain its identity, as for instance, an individual number and the name of the station where applied. The employees handling the sealed car or receptacle each make a record of the number of the seal so that in case the car or receptacle is opened, the record will indicate the point or points about which or between which the tampering was done. The seals are furnished to each station consecutively numbered, so that the clerk may keep a record showing the application, whereby any theft of the seals themselves may be readily discovered. A desirable object in seals of' this character is to provide one which will indicate as definitely as possible the point where the tampering with the car or receptacle was done. I thereforeprovide a seal composed of some plastic material which may be readily molded and hardened so asto be frangible and having a shackle adapted to be automatically locked therein and looped around the staple of the door, so that if the seal or door istampered with, the seal will break into pieces and the fact will be readily apparent that there is no' seal on the car. A seal made of this material cannot be repaired or replaced and in addition the fragments thereof which drop on the ground when the tampering takes place will indicate that the seal has. been broken and afford a material clew to run form the locking lug or extension.

down the guilty parties. In addition a seal of this character, being made preferably of clay, is light in color so that the designations may be applied thereon of a dark color whereby it may be readily read either in the day or night. The lock construction is so formed that the shackle may be adjusted to leave no slack, the lock automatically operating to hold the parts in the closest position, wiereby the shackle may not be broken off and reinserted in the seal and thereby defy superficial inspection. As an embodiment of this idea, I illustrate the form shown in the drawings wherein the numeral 1 indicates the seal proper, and 2 designates the sheet metal shackle which is of the ordinary flexible material now in common use, so as to permit its being readily bent for purposes to be set forth later. As stated hereinbefore the seal or disk is composed of a suitable plastic material molded to the shape shown and then being baked to a requisite degree of hardness so that it will be broken when tampered with. I have found that a form of clay is very desirable for this purpose and the structure of this clay diskis as follows: The disk may be of any shape, but is shown as of general rectangular shape, having the opening or passage 3 extending longitudinally from end to end therethrough, said opening or passage being rectangular in crosssection. In addition longitudinal grooves or recesses 1 are formed extending into the body of the seal or disk from said opening or passage 3. As shown these grooves or recesses are located centrally of said passage or opening 3. Small holes or recesses 5 are formed substantially centrally of the seal disk or body and extend inwardly from each groove or recess 1. Inthe preferred form I have illustrated, these grooves or recesses do not extend the full length of the opening or passage 3, thereby leaving a restricted portion 3 which is substantially wide enough to receive-two thicknesses of theshackle. Attention is called to the fact that the ends of the opening or passage 3 are beveled as at 6,'and that the outer ends of the grooves or recesses 4: are beveled as at 7 for purposes to be hereinafter described.

The seal disk or body is adapted to be connected to the staple A and the hasp B of a lock by means, as stated before of the flexible shackle 2, this shackle being provided with a plurality of apertures 8, preferably elongated, as shown, and having near one extremity a smaller aperture or opening 9. Detachably mounted in this smaller opening or aperture 9 is the locking member 10. This locking member 10 is formed of a suitable resilient material, preferably wire and is provided with the lower arm 11, the end 12 of which is bent downwardly to This 'member 10 further has the loop 13 which in its operating position fits in the opening or recess 9, and the upper arm 14; which ex,- tends at a slight acute angle to the lower arm 11 and has its extremity bent upwardly slightly to provide the locking finger or extension 15 which is adapted to enter one of the openings or apertures 8 in the shackle, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, and lock the movable portion 2 of the shackle to the stationary portion 2" thereof, it being understood that the locking lug or extension fits and rests in said hole or recess 5.

The seals are furnished separate from the shackle with the locking member attached to the end of the shackle by being positioned in the small aperture or opening 9. After the designating characters have been applied to the seal body, or before, as desired,

the end of the shackle is inserted into the passage or opening 3, the beveling 6 materially assisting in. the easy guiding of the end of the shackle. The shackle is pushed or pulled all of the way through, the loop por tion 13 of the locking member 10 being first guided in the grooves or recesses 4 by the beveled walls 7 of its opening, the locking lug or extension 12 and the locking finger 15 being guided into said grooves or recesses 4: by the beveled opening 7. The shackle is moved until the locking lug or extension 12 V reaches and enters the hole or recess 5, whereby the shackle is locked in the seal against withdrawal. It is to beunderstood that the locking member 10 is positioned so that the locking lug or extension 12 extends downwardly to engage hole or opening 5.

The attachment of the seal to the car or receptacle is a simple matter, involving merely the threading of the shackle through the staple A,bending the same and inserting the end thereof into the opening or passage 3 from the end opposite to that through which the shackle was originally inserted. This free end portion 2 of the shackle is moved by being pushed or pulled through the opening or recess, passing over the looking finger 15, the apertures being positioned so that the finger 15 is adapted to enter the same. The seal and the movable portion 2 of the shackle are adjusted until there remains little if any slack, as shown in Fig.

1, when the locking finger 15 enters the last aperture 8 and upon a slight pull being given to the seal body passes through the same to the position shown in Figs. 5 and'6. In this position the lug or extension 12 being locked in the hole or recess 5 and the. finger; 15 passing through one of the apertures 8, securely holds the seal and the shackle together. Now, then, should any strain be placed upon the seal or itsa'ttachment,the 5 seal will be broken, as the material composing it renders it readily frangible. It is to be understood that the material is strong enough to resist the ordinary accidental breaking, but will break when subjected to strain and handling in tampering. It is to be noted that the locking lug or extension 12 of the locking member may lit in either one of the holes or recesses 5, depending uponthe relative arrangement of the disk to the shackle, Movement of the free end of the shackle to the left in Fig. 6, will only result in moving the seal disk closer to the staple and thereby shortening up the slack. As the locking lug or extension 12 is in one of the holes or recesses 5, the seal disk will be prevented from movement relative to the shackle, to the left in Fig. 6. The locking member 10 holds the seal disk positively against movement in one direction relative to the shackle, but permits its movement in the other direction for attachment.

It is therefore seen that I have provided a seal which is adjustable, which automatically locks the seal disk or body and the shackle together, thus obviating the use of presses and reducing the manipulation necessary for attachment. Further my seal provides an efficient indication of the condition of the car or receptacle.

By providing the restricted portion 8 in the passage 3 1t is obvious that additional security is obtained, for the reason that should any strain be placed upon the shackle and the locking member be disengaged from its recess, it will break the seal due to its engagement with the sides of the restricted portion 3 of the opening or passage 3. This is an important advantage, resulting in great efliciency.

What I claimis:

1. As an article of manufacture, a seal disk or body composed of a frangible sub stance and having a longitudinal passageway extending longitudinally therethrough, said disk or body being grooved along one side of said passageway to permit the insertion of a locking device, and having a lock receiving depression or recess.

2. As an article of manufacture, a seal disk or body composed of a frangible substance and having a longitudinal passageway extending longitudinally therethrough, said disk or body being grooved along the sides of said passageway to permit the insertion of a locking device, and having a lock receiving depression or recess in one of said grooves.

3. As an article of manufacture, a seal disk or body composed of a frangible material, said body having a passageway rectangular in cross-section extending longitudinally therethrough, said body further having a groove provided in the side of said passageway and extending longitudinally thereof to permit the insertion of a locking device, and said body also having a depression or recess adapted to receive a locking device.

4. As an article of manufacture, a seal disk or body composed of a frangible material, said body having a passageway rectangular in cross-section extending longitudinally therethrou'gh, said body further having a groove provided in the side of said passageway and extending longitudinally thereof to permit the insertion of a locking device, and said body also having a depression or recess adapted to receive a locking de vice, the walls of said passageway and said groove being inclined to provide beveled entrances.

5. A device of the character described, including in combination, a seal disk body having a longitudinal passageway therethrough and provided with lock receiving recesses, a shackle adapted to be passed through a staple and having its free ends passed through said seal disk body, said shackle having a plurality of apertures, and a locl:- ing device adapted to be connected with one end of said shackle and to be secured in one of said lock receiving recesses to engage in one of said apertures in said shackle, said locking device including a resilient arm permitting the movement of the shackle in one direction for application and preventing its movement in the other direction.

6. A device of the character described, including in combination, a seal disk body having a longitudinal passageway therethrough and provided with lock receiving recesses, a shackle adapted to be passed through a staple and having its free ends passed through said seal disk body, said shackle having a plurality of apertures, and a locking device adapted to be connected with one end of said shackle and to be secured in one of said lock receiving recesses to engage in one of said apertures in said shackle, said locking device comprising a resilient member adapted to be connected to a portion of said shackle and having an extension adapted to be seated in said lock receiving recess and also having a locking and resilient arm extending into the path of the shackle after it is applied to the staple and, adapted to enter one of said apertures, said locking arm being arranged so as to permit the movement of the shackle for application but looking the same against withdrawal.

7. As an article of manufacture, a seal disk or body composed of a frangible material and having a longitudinal passageway therethrough and also having a lock receiving recess or depression, a shackle having a locking member detachably connected thereto, said locking member having an angularly disposed locking extension, said shackle and locking member being adapted to be inserted through said passageway, said locking extension being adapted to engagesaid depression or recess to lock the parts together and prevent their disassociation without ing av passageway therethrough and also having a lock receiving depression or recess, a shackle adapted to. be inserted through said passageway, a locking member adapted to be 'detachably connected to said shackle, and having means adapted to engage said depression or recess when the parts are assembled, said locking member permitting the take up of slack in the shackle; i

9. In a device of the character described,

and in combination, a seal disk or body having a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and having a lock receiving depression or recess, a shackle having a locking member attached to one end and adapted to be inserted in said passageway, said locking member being adapted to engage in said depression or recess, said shackle having a plurality of apertures formed in the other end portion and adapted to be passed through a staple and into the end of said passageway in said disk or body, said locking member having a means adapted to enter one of said apertures in the shackle so as to lock said shackle and disk or body together.

I 10 Ina. device of the character described, and in combination, a seal disk or body having a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and having a lock receiving depression or recess, a shackle having a locking -member attached to one end and adapted to be inserted in said passageway, said locking member having a lug or extension adapted to engage said depression orrecess and having a locking finger or extension projecting upwardly, said shackle having a plurality of apertures formed in the other end portion and adapted to be passed through a staple and into the end of said passageway in said disk or body, said finger or extension being adapted to enter one of said apertures in said shackle to lock the shackle and disk or body together.

11. In a device of the character described, and in combination, a seal disk or body composed of a frangible material having a passageway therethrough and grooves in said passageway and also a lock receiving depression or recess in one of said grooves, a flexible shackle having a locking member attached to one end portion and having a plurality of apertures in the other end por- ,tion, said locking member being resilient and having a locking lug or extension and a locking finger or extension, said shacklebe ing inserted in said passageway so that the lug or extension engages said depression or recess, said shackle being adapted to thread through a staple and then through said passageway'in the seal disk or body, said looking finger or extension being adapted toenterone of said apertures in said shackle and lock said shackle and said disk or body to-' gether to prevent them being disassociated without breaking or fracturing said seal disk or body. I

' 12. As an article of manufacture, a seal diskor body composed of a frangible material, having a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough, said body having grooves provided on opposite sides of said passageway, said grooves extending longitudinally of said passageway but terminating short of one end thereof so as to provide a restricted portion in said passage way, said body also having a depression or recess in each groove adapted to receive a 7 locking devlce.

1 3. Asan article of manufacture, a seal disk or bodyccomposed of a frangible material, having a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough, said body having grooves provided on opposite sides of said passageway, said grooves extending longitudinally of said passageway but terminating short of one end thereof so as to provide a restricted portion in said passage way, said body also having a depression or recess in each groove adapted to receive a member being adapted to engage one of said recesses to lock the parts together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. DALY.

Witnesses: v

ARTHUR TONG, EDWARD O. DELSING.

Copies of this pltent may, be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or ramm.

Washington, 1!. C. i 

